REPORT:
Navigating Entry-Level Jobs and Internships During COVID-19
How the onset of COVID-19 impacted the student job search, as well as summer internships and employment of the Class of 2020.
COVID-19 has made taking that first step into a professional career significantly more complicated for today’s college students.
As millions of Americans deal with the economic fallout from COVID-19, college students are also grappling with how best to navigate their professional next steps. In April 2020, following the onset of COVID-19, RippleMatch surveyed 2,210 students across 367 unique schools to collect insights on how the COVID-19 crisis affected their summer employment plans and approach to the job search.
Through our survey, we uncovered:
- The top challenges of students searching for a job during COVID-19
- Student interest in new career paths and opportunities
- Student concerns about remote work
- How decisions regarding summer internships and employment impacted employer brand perception
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What You'll Learn From This Report
83% of students said uncertainty around hiring status is biggest challenge in search
To mitigate the lack of clarity, companies should ensure their job listings are accurate and keep students in existing pipelines up-to-date on hiring status.
68% of students applied for jobs outside of their preferred industry
In the wake of economic uncertainty, students are expanding their career interests and considering industries and opportunities they may have discounted previously.At least 50% of summer internships took place remotely
At the time of our survey in April, close to 50% of summer internships were set to take place remotely. A much smaller share of internships were rescinded, showcasing how dedicated many employers were to honoring commitments to interns.Download our report to understand how students fared during the onset of COVID-19, and what this means for their future employment search.